Chapter XXXI: Front Matter (31)

Economy - overview:
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of
high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of
GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of
second most technologically-powerful economy in the world after the
US and third-largest economy after the US and China. One notable
characteristic of the economy is the working together of
manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups
called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important
sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw
materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly
subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the
world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50%
of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains
one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly
15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic
growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5%
average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed
markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the
after effects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and
contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts
to revive economic growth have met with little success and were
further hampered in 2000-2003 by the slowing of the US, European,
and Asian economies. Japan's huge government debt, which totals more
than 150% of GDP, and the ageing of the population are two major
long-run problems. Robotics constitutes a key long-term economic
strength with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's 720,000
"working robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to reform
the ailing banking system continues.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.582 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $28,200 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 25.4%
services: 73.3% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.9% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.8%
highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24.9 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
66.66 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 25%, services 70% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5.3% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $1.327 trillion
expenditures: $1.646 trillion, including capital expenditures
(public works only) of about $71 billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
154.6% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, poultry, dairy
products, eggs, fish

Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of
motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Industrial production growth rate:
3.3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.037 trillion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
964.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
17,330 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
5.29 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
93,360 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
5.449 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
29.29 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
2.519 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
80.42 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
77.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
20.02 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$135.9 billion (2003)

Exports:
$447.1 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 24.8%, China 12.1%, South Korea 7.3%, Taiwan 6.6%, Hong Kong
6.3% (2003)

Imports:
$346.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
raw materials (2001)

Imports - partners:
China 19.7%, US 15.6%, South Korea 4.7%, Indonesia 4.3% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$664.6 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
NA (2002 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $7 billion (FY03/04)

Currency:
yen (JPY)

Currency code:
JPY

Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar - 115.933 (2003), 125.388 (2002), 121.529 (2001),
107.765 (2000), 113.907 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Japan

Telephones - main lines in use:
71.149 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
86,658,600 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: country code - 81; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean
regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US
(via Guam) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21
(2001)

Radios:
120.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
211 plus 7,341 repeaters
note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV
cable services (1999)

Televisions:
86.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.jp

Internet hosts:
12,962,065 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
73 (2000)

Internet users:
57.2 million (2002)

Transportation Japan

Railways:
total: 23,705 km (16,519 km electrified)
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,393 km
1.067-m gauge (13,227 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km
electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 1,161,894 km
paved: 534,471 km (including 6,455 km of expressways)
unpaved: 627,423 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima,
Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima,
Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai

Merchant marine:
total: 568 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,149,196 GRT/12,680,544 DWT
by type: bulk 113, cargo 39, chemical tanker 18, combination bulk
31, combination ore/oil 1, container 14, liquefied gas 53, passenger
8, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 170, refrigerated cargo 6,
roll on/roll off 58, short-sea/passenger 7, vehicle carrier 49
registered in other countries: 1,989 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: China 1, Panama 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 1

Airports:
174 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 143
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
over 3047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
15 (2003 est.)

Military Japan

Military branches:
Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force
(Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Coast Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 29,179,095 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 25,189,438 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 700,931 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$42,488.1 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (2003)

Transnational Issues Japan

Disputes - international:
The sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and
Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern
Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands", occupied
by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed
by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace
treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; intensified media
coverage and protests highlight dispute over the fishing-rich
Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima) also claimed by South Korea;
China and Taiwan have intensified their claims to the Senkaku
Islands (Diaoyu Tai) administered by Japan

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Jarvis Island

Introduction Jarvis Island

Background:
First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was
annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano
had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never
carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and
reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the
island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the
US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the
middle of the west coast.

Geography Jarvis Island

Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and the Cook Islands

Geographic coordinates:
0 22 S, 160 03 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 4.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.5 sq km

Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
8 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Terrain:
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime
hazard

Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs;
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds,
shorebirds, and marine wildlife

People Jarvis Island

Population:
uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally
used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was
abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical
Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use
permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally
restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish
and Wildlife Service (July 2004 est.)

Government Jarvis Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Jarvis Island

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Jarvis Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat
landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the
southwest corner of the island

Transportation - note:
there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

Military Jarvis Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US
Coast Guard

Transnational Issues Jarvis Island

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Jersey

Introduction Jersey

Background:
The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the
last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in
both France and England. These islands were the only British soil
occupied by German troops in World War II.

Geography Jersey

Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:
49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 116 sq km

Area - comparative:
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
70 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

People Jersey

Population:
90,502 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.7% (male 8,268; female 7,716)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,237; female 30,490)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 6,016; female 7,775) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.3 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 41.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.36% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
10.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.09 years
male: 76.63 years
female: 81.74 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent

Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian

Languages:
English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken
in country districts

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Government Jersey

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey

Dependency status:
British crown dependency

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Saint Helier

Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency)

Independence:
none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
bailiff appointed by the monarch
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air
Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff
Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators
(elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes
(elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms);
the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the
Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all
appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 52

Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:
white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the
flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
shield with the three lions of England in yellow

Economy Jersey

Economy - overview:
The economy is based largely on international financial services,
agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and
especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the
UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to
the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted
for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of
the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the
government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with
the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the
traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy
requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food
needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax
haven.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.7% (1998)

Labor force:
57,050 (1996)

Unemployment rate:
0.7% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98
million (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries:
tourism, banking and finance, dairy

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France

Exports:
NA

Exports - commodities:
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles

Exports - partners:
UK

Imports:
NA

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
mineral fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
UK

Debt - external:
none

Economic aid - recipient:
none

Currency:
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound

Currency code:
GBP

Exchange rates:
Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596
(2000), 0.6180 (1999); the Jersey pound is at par with the British
pound

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Jersey

Telephones - main lines in use:
73,900 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
61,400 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.je

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Jersey

Highways:
total: 577 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors:
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Jersey

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Jersey

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Johnston Atoll

Introduction Johnston Atoll

Background:
Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in
1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late
1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in
1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the
US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for
high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late
in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for
chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and
closure of the facility is progressing, with completion anticipated
in 2004.

Geography Johnston Atoll

Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from
Hawaii to the Marshall Islands

Geographic coordinates:
16 45 N, 169 31 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
34 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with
little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m

Natural resources:
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral
dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade
islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in
circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons
test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal
System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in
2004; some low-growing vegetation

People Johnston Atoll

Population:
396 no indigenous inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001,
population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical
Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of January 2004 the island
population was just above 200 personnel, including US Air Force, US
Fish and Wildlife Service, and civilian contractor personnel (July
2004 est.)

Government Johnston Atoll

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll

Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, HI,
by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system

Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of the US is used

Economy Johnston Atoll

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military
personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.

Communications Johnston Atoll

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: 512 KB satellite link to Hawaii teleport; 20 (POTS) voice
and data lines
international: NA (2002)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 256 KB circuit to US Department of Defense-run Nonsecure Internet
Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) (2002)

Transportation Johnston Atoll

Ports and harbors:
Johnston Island

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Johnston Atoll

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Johnston Atoll

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Jordan

Introduction Jordan

Background:
For most of its history since independence from British
administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99).
A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures
from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states,
Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several
wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary
elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a
formal peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son
of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his
father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his
power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan
acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to
participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a
two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in
the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister and government appointed in
October 2004 declared their commitment to accelerated economic and
political reforms and the new cabinet includes an unprecedented four
women as ministers.

Geography Jordan

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km

Coastline:
26 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
arable land: 2.67%
permanent crops: 1.83%
other: 95.5% (2001)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied
West Bank

People Jordan

Population:
5,611,202 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 1,009,604; female 967,645)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 1,829,984; female 1,598,141)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,896; female 104,932) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.2 years
male: 22.8 years
female: 21.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.67% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
22.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.11 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.63 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.06 years
male: 75.59 years
female: 80.69 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (2003 est.)

Government Jordan

Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local short form: Al Urdun
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
former: Transjordan

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
'Amman

Administrative divisions:
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba

Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)

Constitution:
8 January 1952

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince
HUSSEIN (born 1994), son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to
inherit the throne
head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ (since 25 October
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the
Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55
seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year terms; note - six
seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
electoral panel if no women are elected)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next
to be held NA 2007)
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001
elections until 2003
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action Front 10.4%;
seats by party - independents and others 92, Islamic Action Front
18; note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF
candidate

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Ahed Party [Khaldoun al-NASSER, secretary general]; Al-Ajyal
[Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive
Party [Mahmood MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Al-Umma (Nation) Party
[Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr.
Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir
HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL,
secretary general]; Democratic Arab Islamic Movement [Yusuf ABU
BAKR, president]; Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary
general]; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary]
general; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali
MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz
al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd)
Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front
[Hazma MANSOUR, secretary general]; Muslim Centrist Party [NA
leader]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary
general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI,
secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI,
secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud
al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president];
Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David M.
HALE
embassy: Abdoun, Amman
mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box
5, APO AE 09892-0200
telephone: [962] (6) 592-0101
FAX: [962] (6) 592-4102

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the
Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and
green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle
on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and
bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is
based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

Economy Jordan

Economy - overview:
Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water
and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since
assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic
reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in
the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with
privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), a
free trade accord with the US (2000), and an association agreement
with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity
and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in
Iraq in 2003 dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent
on Iraq for discounted oil (worth $300-$600 million a year). Several
Gulf nations have provided temporary aid to compensate for the loss
of this oil; when this foreign aid expires, the Jordanian government
has pledged to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales
tax base. Other ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to
reduce the budget deficit, broader investment incentives to promote
job-creating ventures, and the encouragement of tourism.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $23.64 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 29%
services: 67.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18.8% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
30% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.4 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.36 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 12.5%, services 82.5% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.397 billion
expenditures: $3.587 billion, including capital expenditures of $582
million (2003 est.)

Public debt:
92.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats,
poultry

Industries:
phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement,
potash, light manufacturing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
7.091 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.86 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
267 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
40 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
103,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
445,000 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
290 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
290 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.256 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$903 million (2003)

Exports:
$2.908 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners:
US 21.5%, Iraq 17.6%, Switzerland 6.5%, India 6.5%, Saudi Arabia
5.3% (2003)

Imports:
$4.946 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment,
manufactured goods

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 11.3%, China 7.9%, Germany 7.9%, US 6.8%, Iraq 6.5%
(2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$5.364 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$7.683 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $553 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:
JOD

Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709
(2001), 0.709 (2000), 0.709 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Jordan

Telephones - main lines in use:
622,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,325,300 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service has improved recently with increased
use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the
telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to
pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals;
fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link
with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable
FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL;
international links total about 4,000

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios:
1.66 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
500,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.jo

Internet hosts:
3,160 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)

Internet users:
457,000 (2003)

Transportation Jordan

Railways:
total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 7,245 km
paved: 7,245 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 10 km; oil 743 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Al 'Aqabah

Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,814 GRT/92,695 DWT
registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Greece 6
by type: cargo 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 5,
short-sea/passenger 1

Airports:
17 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military Jordan

Military branches:
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal
Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations
Command or SOCOM); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls
under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis
situations

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age
18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are
required to register (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,636,537 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,153,385 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 59,471 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2,043.2 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
20.2% (2003)

Transnational Issues Jordan

Disputes - international:
border dispute settled with Syria in 2004

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,740,170 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA))
IDPs: 800,000 (1967 Arab-Israeli War) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Juan de Nova Island

Introduction Juan de Nova Island

Background:
Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer,
the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been
exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military
garrison oversees a meteorological station.

Geography Juan de Nova Island

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third
of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
17 03 S, 42 45 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 4.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.4 sq km

Area - comparative:
about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
24.1 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
low and flat

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 10 m

Natural resources:
guano deposits and other fertilizers

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (90% forest) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
wildlife sanctuary

People Juan de Nova Island

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few
meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2004 est.)

Government Juan de Nova Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
local long form: none

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the
Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (possession of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (possession of France)

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Juan de Nova Island

Economy - overview:
Up to 12,000 tons of guano are mined per year.

Communications Juan de Nova Island

Communications - note:
1 meteorological station

Transportation Juan de Nova Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Juan de Nova Island

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Juan de Nova Island

Disputes - international:
claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Kazakhstan

Introduction Kazakhstan

Background:
Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as
a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many
of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
and other foreign powers.

Geography Kazakhstan

Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe

Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now
split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea
(1,894 km)

Climate:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Terrain:
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

Natural resources:
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 7.98%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.97% (2001)

Irrigated land:
23,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

Environment - current issues:
radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense
industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose
health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe
in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the
Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and
leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural
salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown
into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil
pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from
poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory
enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and
Russia extended the lease to 2050

People Kazakhstan

Population:
15,143,704 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 1,884,369; female 1,807,585)
15-64 years: 68% (male 5,028,455; female 5,268,726)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 404,940; female 749,629) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.3 years
male: 26.6 years
female: 30 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.26% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
15.52 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 35.24 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.07 years
male: 60.72 years
female: 71.73 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups:
Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Uygur 1.4%, other 6.6% (1999 census)

Religions:
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Languages:
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in
everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic
communication") 95% (2001 est.)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.7% (1999 est.)

Government Kazakhstan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: none

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in
December 1998

Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala,
singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
(Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
(Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses); in 1995 the Governments of
Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
(Baykonur, formerly Leninsk)

Independence:
16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 December (1991)

Constitution:
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Akhmetzhan YESIMOV (since 14 May
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani KASYMOV 4.7%, Engels GABBASSOV 1.5%
note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum in 1995 that
expanded his presidential powers: only he can initiate
constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government,
dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint
administrative heads of regions and cities
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously
scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's
previous term was extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held
30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7 senators
are appointed by the president; other members are popularly elected,
two from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital of Astana, and the city
of Almaty, to serve six-year terms; note - formerly composed of 47
seats) and the Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis members
are elected from the winning party's lists; members are popularly
elected to serve five-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; candidates nominated by local councils; Majilis -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11,
ASAR (All Together) 4, Ak Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1,
independent 18; note - most independent candidates are affiliated
with parastatal enterprises and other pro-government institutions
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to
be held December 2005); Majilis - last held 19 September and 3
October 2004 (next to be held September 2009)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)

Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; AIST (Agrarian Party-Civic Party
Bloc); Ak Zhol Party "Bright Path" [Bulat ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV,
Lyudmila ZHULANOVA, Alikhan BAYMENOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV,
co-chairs]; ASAR "All Together" [Dariga NAZARBAYEVA, chairwoman];
AUL "Village" [Gani KALIYEV]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first
secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first
secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav
KOSAREV]; Democratic Choice Party of Kazakhstan [Galiymzhan
ZHAKIYANOV]; Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Maksut NARIKBAEV]; Otan
"Fatherland" [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, chairman]; Patriots' Party [Gani
KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat [Altynshash JAGANOVA]
note: twelve parties in Kazakhstan were registered for the elections
in the fall of 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA];
Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; Kazakhstan
International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive
director]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA,
chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos
KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM
(observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
embassy: 99/97A Fumanova, Samal-2, Almaty, 480099
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 50-48-02
FAX: [7] (3272) 50-48-84

Flag description:
sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on
the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold

Economy Kazakhstan

Economy - overview:
Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in
territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves
as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also
is a large agricultural - livestock and grain - producer.
Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and
processing of these natural resources and also on a growing
machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment,
tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a
short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual
decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government
program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in
a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan
enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and a solid 9.5% in 2002 -
thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic
reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. The opening of the
Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's
Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export
capacity. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy
designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the
oil sector, by developing light industry. Additionally, the policy
aims to reduce the influence of foreign investment and foreign
personnel; the government has engaged in several disputes with
foreign oil companies over the terms of production agreements, and
tensions continue.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $105.5 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.7%
industry: 37.7%
services: 54.6% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
23.9% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
26% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 27.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.4 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.6% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
7.634 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6.729 billion
expenditures: $6.999 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
15.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock

Industries:
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper,
titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel;
tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors,
construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:
8.8% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
52.43 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
48.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
3.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
798,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
195,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.709 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
10.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
14.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
4.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
8.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
920.3 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-68.8 million (2003)

Exports:
$12.72 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%,
machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Exports - partners:
Bermuda 17%, Russia 15.2%, Switzerland 13%, China 12.8%, Italy 7.8%
(2003)

Imports:
$8.621 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8%
(2001)

Imports - partners:
Russia 39%, Germany 8.7%, China 6.2%, US 5.6% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$4.962 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$24.45 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$610 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000 (2000)

Currency:
tenge (KZT)

Currency code:
KZT

Exchange rates:
tenge per US dollar - 149.576 (2003), 153.279 (2002), 146.736
(2001), 142.133 (2000), 119.523 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Kazakhstan

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,081,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.027 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios:
6.47 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:
3.88 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kz

Internet hosts:
21,984 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (with their own international channels) (2001)

Internet users:
250,000 (2002)

Transportation Kazakhstan

Railways:
total: 13,601 km
broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 81,331 km
paved: 77,020 km
unpaved: 4,311 km (2000)

Waterways:
4,000 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 18 km; gas 10,370 km; oil 10,158 km; refined products
1,187 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)